Ordinary Boy
by dr pepper upper
Summary: Leonard McCoy and his daughter, Joanna, boarded a shuttle headed for Starfleet Academy, aiming for a new life. They didn't expect to find the mysterious Jim Kirk on the way. Len has a feeling Jim is more than he seems. Star Trek/Peter Pan crossover!
1. Just an Ordinary Day

Title: Ordinary Boy [1/?]

Author: drpepperupper

Fandom: Peter Pan / Star Trek xi crossover

Characters & Pairings: Kirk/McCoy, Joanna, the whole Enterprise crew

Rating: R, just to be safe

Warnings: Swearing

Notes: So, I don't know if this idea has been done before. I caught myself thinking about Jim Kirk and how be belonged in the stars and my mind automatically jumped to Peter Pan with Neverland and the second star to the right and straight on 'til morning. And... Well, this is what I've come up with so far. So, I hope you enjoy this weird piece my mind has conjured up.

Not for the first time, Leonard McCoy found that it was surprisingly hard to walk in a straight line while a six-and-a-half-year-old, pink-clad, thumb sucking little girl wrapped herself around his left leg.

It was also _insanely_ hard to haul his duffle bag over his shoulder and drag her pink Barbie doll suitcase along behind him as he wobbled towards the car. "Jo..." He groaned, shaking the leg with the little girl draped around it, as it was already falling asleep due to her little arms stopping his circulation. "Joanna, c'mon. Let go of my leg," he stopped wobbling and stooped down to haul his daughter up into his arms.

She squeaked and threw her arms around his neck, burying her pretty little face in his shoulder. "I don't wanna go, daddy!" She wailed into his ear, adding to what was already starting to become a whopping headache. Len flinched and dropped the bags he was hauling to wrap both arms around little Joanna McCoy. He stroked her dark hair and shushed her gently.

"I know, sweetheart," he said quietly, "but we have to go." She sniffled and drew back a little to look Len in the face. His heart broke right in two when he saw the tears welling up in those beautiful, clear blue eyes. Her small body shivered with repressed sobs and Len didn't think he could feel any worse than he already did. "Hey, hey..." He whispered, leaning forward to kiss the tears off of her face, rubbing the back of her neck to calm her down. "It's gonna be okay, JoJo. I promise."

The universe hated the McCoy name, Len was sure of it. He didn't know what he'd done to make any deity angry at his family, but he'd obviously done _something_. Leonard's world had gone to hell just three years ago and he still didn't know _why_. His daddy had gotten sick and died, his wife decided that she was too good for him and their daughter and had taken _everything_ when she left. Really... _Nothing_ was going _right_. He got fired from his job and he was having a hell of a time trying to find a new one.

He'd tried almost every hospital that was hiring. He made call after call, did interview after interview but nothing had come through. It was even harder when he had to go home and explain to Joanna that daddy didn't get the job, time after time. He hated to have to put on a fake smile and hug her and say that everything was going to be okay when he really didn't think it was going to be.

Their only break came in the chance meeting with Captain Christopher Pike. He'd been doing some recruit work, since Starfleet was low on doctors, at the hospital where Len had applied for a job and had gone in for an interview on the same day. Pike had taken one misstep and had tripped on his way out the door, twisting his ankle and breaking it cleanly just as Len was stepping into the hospital. Of course, being a fully qualified doctor, he'd patched Pike up (Starfleet Captains made the _worst_ patients; they _constantly_ wanted to be on the move. They were _always_ wriggling), using the hospital's equipment. He had been so efficient and professional that Captain Pike had asked his name.

Len was pleasantly surprised to find that Pike actually _knew_ who he was and was impressed with his work.

That night, he went home to Joanna with the news that daddy was going to have a job.

The problem was that Joanna had an irrational fear of flying, and they were going to _Starfleet_. The place operated in _space_. Which meant _flying_, unless Len was lucky enough to get a planet-side assignment. With his recent no-win streak, he very seriously doubted that he'd have such luck. However, as Chrisopher Pike had assured him, he had four years to debate his options but he had a week to decide if he wanted to get on that shuttle or not.

So, despite Joanna's protests and pouting and crying, there they were; loading up the car for the trek to Riverside, Iowa. Len wanted his baby girl to be happy and if that meant hours and hours in the car instead of a quick shuttle ride to Iowa, then he would drive to the end of the world. Sure, Len wasn't happy about leaving his hometown in Georgia either but it was worse when he had to watch her freckled face crumple in the window's reflection as he drove away.

So, at great personal blows to his dignity, Len slid in his daughter's favorite CD and began singing _Puff the Magic Dragon_ obscenely loudly, deliberately out of tune, and while making silly expressions at Joanna's quickly brightening face in the rearview mirror.

_I'm a doctor, damn it, not a clown! _

_Oh_, but it was worth it to see his baby smile.

That same smile faded as the sun went down. Blue eyes that were as bright as any sun began to dim as energetic limbs went lax in the back seat and happy laughter subsided to snores. Len ejected the CD and put on soft music, only for his ears to hear as he drove into the night. He'd lost track of the hours when he was focused on both the road and keeping Joanna happy and distracted. He couldn't help but wonder as he surveyed Jo's sleeping face if he was doing the right thing.

Starfleet was a good starting point, though. All Len wanted to do was to make a new and better life for his daughter. Was that so much to ask? If it caused them both a bit of discomfort... Well, it'd be worth it in the end. It _had_ to be. As much as Len was familiar with bad ideas, he figured Starfleet Academy was a safe bet. It was _school_ (and oh my God, he was going to be old to those fresh-faced cadets even though he was only twenty-nine). How much trouble could he get into _there_?

He realized his mistake and immediately rapped his knuckles three times on the dashboard. It wasn't wood, but it would have to do.

Even if he'd already got his medical degree, he supposed some more years of school could only help him. He wasn't a bragger, but he was brilliant. He'd gone into medical school early and had graduated in minimal time with great marks. He'd met Jocelyn there (she'd been a few years older than him) and had been eager to get out so that he could have a shot for a life with her.

And oh, he ended up with her, all right. It hadn't been the life he'd wanted, that he'd imagined. She was a perfectly lovely woman, sure, but she was demanding and was very material-oriented and focused on making money. They found out too late that they just couldn't live out their lives with each other. In the divorce, she'd fought for every material thing she could. She'd clawed him for the house and everything in it.

She hadn't fought hard for Joanna.

Len grimaced and took a swig of his now-cold coffee. Joanna was so perfect and brilliant and everything a parent could want in a child. Len had fought tooth and nail to ensure that he had custody of his baby girl. He didn't want Jocelyn and her petty cares to rub off on JoJo. His girl was going to be raised like a Southern lady like his momma and she would care for _people_, not their _possessions_ if Len had any say in it.

He'd seen how hurt Jo had been when her mother handed her to Len without a fight. Sure, there had been some teary eyes, but Leonard would bet money that she'd moisturized her eyes beforehand with those goddamned eyedrops she insisted on having. To make up for her mother practically abandoning her, Len had worked hard to be the best fucking father in the entire world.

He had an entire box filled with Joanna's art projects, each one painted with some form of 'I LOVE YOU, DADDY' and smiles and hearts and it made his own swell up with pride. His little girl was tough; she wasn't going to let anything bring her down.

Well, except for a shuttle...

Jo had gotten her whole 'irrational fear of flying' thing from her dear old dad. He could, at least, calm himself down and breathe deeply and know that someone who was at least competent was flying the metal death trap, but Joanna was just terrified. Every attempt she made to hide in some cranny had been thwarted by the sharp-eyed flight attendant.

The poor thing would either be shaking in terror the whole time, barely blinking or breathing and she would only calm down when Len would quietly tell her stories that his momma had told _him_ about a boy just a bit older than herself that flew _without_ the shuttle around him. He emphasized how much _fun_ the boy had while flying and he told her his adventures in a far-away place.

Peter Pan had been a story that had gone out of style after Starfleet was established. No doubt countless numbers of children asked their parents about the star that led into the magical place and had been shot down by cruel, harsh reality.

Len kind of hoped his daughter wouldn't have to be subjected to that. He loved her bright enthusiasm, her exuberant imagination and her knack for telling stories. More than one night, she crawl into his bed when they both couldn't sleep and she would ask to tell _Len_ a story and not the other way around. It was only when he would wake up the next morning to find her curled up close to him that he'd realize that he was played and he'd chuckle for a long time after.

He smiled to himself and shook his head, _finally_ pulling into a hotel parking lot just outside of Riverside, Iowa.

He didn't even wake Jo up as he unbuckled her and hauled her up into his arms after he checked in. The only sign of awareness she gave was to snuggle deeper into Len's arms as he fell asleep.

The next morning found the two McCoys, one with a fake optimistic smile on his face (it really didn't suit him; Len was a pessimistic at heart) and one with a carefully resigned-bordering-on-pout expression on her pretty face. They were quite a grim picture as they walked up to the shuttle that promised adventures and new experiences.

All Joanna had to say on the matter was, "I may throw up on you, daddy."

Yeah.

They were gonna be _fine_.

Captain Pike caught Len's eye as they got closer to their impending doom _shuttle_ and nodded. "Glad you could make it, Doctor McCoy," he said and then looked down at Joanna with a raised brow and a little smile quirked the corners of his mouth up. "And you must be Miss Joanna." He held a hand out to her that Joanna took without hesitation while Len grinned with pride. "Nice to meet you, young lady."

"Hi," she answered, voice strong but a pretty blush covered her freckled cheeks.

Len snorted at the captain. "Charmer. Don't be stealin' my girl away from me, Captain Pike." Pike only chuckled at him and motioned for the two to board the shuttle.

"Good luck, doctor."

"Don't let us die on this thing, captain."

"Yessir," the captain answered with a roll of his eyes and a nice, sarcastic bite in his voice. Before Joanna could have any second thoughts about not throwing a fit before getting on the shuttle, Len stooped down and lifted her into his arms. He was aware of the stares from many red-clad cadets. He could see some young men's eyes twitching at the sight of Joanna's pink Barbie suitcase and he could see the simpering looks that some female cadets threw at Joanna as their ovaries exploded with warm and fuzzy feelings and bright colors.

"Wait a few years," he advised one with a roll of his eyes after she'd squeaked to her friend about how _cute_ the pair was.

Yeah, he felt like a fucking old man compared to these baby-faced Starfleet brats. A flight attendant came and relieved him of his bags to put them away with the rest and Joanna wasted no time in bolting for the bathroom and locking herself in in a fit of panic.

A slightly harried looking woman was already pursuing the terrified girl by the time that Len was able to go running towards the bathroom and his little girl. "Ma'am, are you okay in there?" There wasn't much actual concern in the woman's voice but there was a whole _world_ of exhaustion and annoyance. Joanna mumbled something unintelligible and Len groaned internally.

"That's my daughter. She's just afraid of flying. I'll get her out," he explained quickly before turning and speaking to his daughter through the thin door. "JoJo, come out, babe," he coaxed softly while the woman stood just a foot or two behind him, tapping her foot impatiently on the floor.

"But I'm _scared_," came the tiny, petulant voice and Len felt like calmly bashing his head into the wall. _So am I, kiddo, so am I_, he thought. He mentally sympathized with her but he put on his 'stern dad' voice.

"Joanna McCoy, the shuttle can't leave while you're in there and not in your seat and we don't want to keep everyone waiting. So come out here right now, young lady," he said and cringed. He hated being the bad guy and he understood why she was scared but he was getting embarrassed from the looks he was getting. Soon enough, the bathroom door opened and Joanna stepped out, bowing her head and pressing her forehead into his abdomen as he patted her head soothingly.

"Does she need a doctor?" Len glared at the impatient woman that he already didn't like as she pushed them almost roughly out towards the main part of the shuttle.

"We don't _need_ a doctor, damn it, I _am_ a doctor!"

"Sir, get back to your seat."

"Look, she suffers from aviophobia. That means fear of dying in something that flies. Cut her a break, woman, she's only five!"  

"Six _and a half_," muttered Jo as she sat down beside the only other person in the shuttle that _wasn't_ wearing red. Len growled at the flight attendant and sat down beside his daughter, snapping her seat belts into place as she leaned over and said to the stranger next to her, "I might throw up on you."   

_That's my girl._  

"I think these things are pretty safe..." The stranger answered, sounding very obviously both confused and amused. Len was too busy wrestling with his safety belt to look up. Joanna just snorted at him in a way that _very clearly_ said '_Are you an idiot? One tiny crack in the hull and our blood boils in thirteen seconds. Solar flare might crop up, cook us in our seats. Wait until you get a case of Andorian shingles. See if you're still so relaxed when your __**eyeballs**__ are bleeding!' _  

No, wait, that was Len's lecture.   

"Space is bad." _That_ was Joanna's lecture. The stranger just huffed.  

"Well, I hate to break this to you, but Starfleet operates in space, little miss." Len finally looked up at the man with whom is daughter was currently conversing with and was thrown for a second. He was young, that was for sure, but he wasn't a fresh-faced cadet.   

In fact, this kid looked like a brick wall had taken personal offense to the stranger's face and had rammed itself into him a few times.   

That didn't take away from the fact that he was a good lookin' young man. He had eyes like Joanna's, a light blue, but his was like crystalline blue, whereas Joanna's could be compared to the deep, clear water that one would find off the coast of Hawaii or some Caribbean island.   

Len nodded with his daughter. "Space is disease and danger wrapped in darkness and silence." The man looked between Joanna and Len and nodded to himself. He pointed to Len, his eyes still trained on Jo.  

"That your dad?"  

"You betcha."   

"Huh." The man pursed his lips and assessed Joanna a few moments longer until he nodded. "And who are you, young lady?" Before Len could warn her not to tell the strange man anything, answered.

"Joanna McCoy. Who are _you_?" She studied him as closely as he'd studied her and apparently that pleased him because he stretched himself out a little, practically preening under the calculating gaze of the six year old girl.   

"Name's Kirk. Jim Kirk." Joanna stuck her small hand out promptly and nodded.  

"Nice ta' meet'cha, Mister Jim." He solemnly took her hand and shook it, but his eyes were bright and he looked like he was about to throw his head back and shout to the heavens. Joanna let go and moved into Len a bit and smiled a little up at him.  

"Likewise, Miss Joanna." It was only then that the stranger–Kirk. Jim Kirk moved his gaze from Joanna to Len, taking in Len's frown and tense posture. "As long as we're all introducing ourselves..."   

Len had half a mind to pick up Joanna and move to a different seat. He could tell that this Jim fellow was no good, from his bright blue eyes to his blood spattered shirt. "Leonard McCoy." Before Jim Kirk could comment, Captain Pike's voice came over the comm.   

"We're just getting ready to take off. Stay in your seats until I say it's safe to get up and go to the bathroom. The flight will take approximately five hours. Pike out." Len groaned as Joanna froze. _Five hours_. How was he supposed to tell one story for five hours to make Joanna stay calm?   

"Daddy..." There it was, that first note of panic in Joanna's voice that made Len's heart clench. He reached for his daughter as best as he could, shifted as close as possible to her and put his arms around her protectively.   

"Just close your eyes, JoJo. You'll be fine." For his little girl, he could overlook the fact that he _himself_ had aviophobia. For his little girl, he could be strong. Jim Kirk watched Len with rapt attention, drinking in every movement that Joanna made and obviously was listening to every word Len said to comfort her as the shuttle took off.   

It was only when the shuttle leveled out that Len felt it was okay to let go a little bit. He could practically feel Joanna's terror thrumming through her veins as she struggled against her seat belt. Len grabbed her hands in one of his while Jim leered at a pretty girl across the way as she ignored him.

"Daddy, I'm scared," Jo whimpered, eyes wide open as she watched the sky pass outside of the window. Len knew she was mentally going over the probability of that window shattering and piercing her skin and killing them _all_.   

Show time.   

"Jo, look close out the window. You see those stars out there? They're _real_ hard to see, since it's light out, but if you squint you'll see 'em," he started, pointing out the window and directing her gaze. He smiled to himself when he saw her squint her eyes to the point where they were nearly closed, suitably distracted. He pretended not to notice Jim Kirk pretending not to watch them.   

"Yeah, I see 'em!"   

"Remember how that story you like goes? Second star to the right and straight on 'til morning?" Jim Kirk stopped pretending to ignore them and turned his head to look at the two McCoys straight on, curiosity burning brightly in the too-blue eyes.  

"Daddy, that's the story _I_ tell _you_." Her tone of voice clearly said _duh, dad_.   

"Well, guess what, kiddo? That'll be the first place we go when we get out into space. I promise!"  Jo gasped and turned to him, eyes wide. "You'd take me to Neverland?"   

"If that's where you wanna go, baby girl, than yeah. Definitely," he said as he nodded. If it were any other time, he'd feel bad about lying so bluntly to his little girl, but drastic times called for drastic measures.

He was about to launch into yet another story about her favorite hero, Peter Pan, when Jim interrupted.  

"You wouldn't want to go there, Miss Joanna."   

Jo looked taken aback. "Why not?" Len knew very well that Joanna wanted nothing more than to never grow up, fly and fight pirates.  

"Neverland is for children that won't be missed by anyone. That's why they can stay there forever, because if there's no one to miss them, there's no reason to go back." Jim nodded sagely, whispering like he knew a big secret. "I'd bet your daddy would miss you a whole lot if you went there. You'd miss him, too. Wouldn't be worth it." There was something behind the bright eyes, and enigmatic smile that Len couldn't figure out even as he studied Jim carefully.  

Jo was about to protest again when they heard a shout from the front of the shuttle. Len craned his neck around and was just able to see a cadet collapse to the ground and he swore loudly.  

"Daddy!" Joanna exclaimed, berating him for his use of language.

The harried flight attendant rushed to the cadet and then looked up. "Is anyone here a doctor?" Len caught her eye and saw the glint of recognition. "You! Can you help?" He would, but Joanna was gripping his arm and pleading with her eyes for him not to leave her and he was torn between his daughter and his job.   

"I..."  

"I'll watch your kid," Jim Kirk supplied helpfully from across Joanna. Len studied him for a second and then nodded. They were in a crowded shuttle, this Jim Kirk couldn't really hurt his daughter there.  

"JoJo, why don't you tell Mister Jim some of your stories?" He suggested and was pleased when Joanna turned around and began launching into an Epic about Peter Pan and space pirates and flying without shuttles and having a grand old time. Jim was smiling and there was a glint in his eye that Len didn't really have time to interpret because he was getting out of his seat and rushing towards the fallen cadet.  

After a drink of water and a stim hypo, the kid was good as new. Apparently, he'd had a bottle crashed over his head and hadn't gotten it checked out.  

_Idiot_.   

By the time he got back, Joanna was still telling a story, but Jim was also contributing to it, adding little details and dialogue (even adding funny voices that made Joanna giggle) and Len was just sitting down when Jo asked Jim how he knew the story. Jim just shrugged and smiled enigmatically. "Heard some stories from my mom a while back."   

They got into which one of them got to be Peter Pan (Jim eventually won that one; he _was_ a _boy_, after all) and Joanna got to be the first lost girl. Len was affectionately dubbed a pirate.  

For some reason, Jo didn't point out that her stories about Peter Pan were made up in her mind and not part of the original story, but Len was too annoyed to call her out on it. Instead, he didn't interrupt them, closed his eyes and drifted off before Jim and Joanna could think of a pirate name for him.  

He dreamed of flying and winking stars in the black ocean that was space.    

By the time he woke up, Jo was asleep and Jim was staring out of the window, a faraway look in his eyes. He turned when Len stirred and grinned, looking positively wicked as all his white teeth gnashed at him. "Hey, Bones."   

"_Bones_?"   

"Your pirate name. It fits you. I like it."   

Leonard groaned. "You _named_ me?" Jim nodded enthusiastically. _What I wouldn't give for some whiskey right now,_ thought Len as he brought a hand up to run through his hair.   

"Does that mean I get to keep you?"   

"I don't think so, kid."   

They lapsed into silence as Len looked down at Joanna and stroked her hair softly. She hummed happily in her sleep and smiled a little. Jim, apparently, wasn't the kind of person that could keep his mouth shut, because not five minutes later, he was back with a question. "If she hates space so much, why are you going into Starfleet?"   

Len shrugged. "Got nowhere else to go, really. Starfleet's something to do until I get back on my feet." He smiled down at Jo again, then. "The ex-wife can have the whole damn planet, but she can't take my baby girl from me." He looked at Jim and tilted his head to the side. "You don't look like you belong here, either. Why're _you_ here?"   

Jim just shrugged. "Thought it was time to go home."   

Before Len could ask what the hell he meant, Captain Pike announced that they were going to be landing and, miraculously, Joanna slept through it. It was only when he'd gotten his room assignment around and armful of Joanna McCoy that Jim Kirk left. Before he did, however, he wrote Len's dorm room down on a slip of paper with a nod. When Leonard asked what he was doing, Jim only grinned and replied that he would need to know where to go to get a good bedtime story.   

Then, with a firm slap on Len's back, Jim Kirk was gone with a, "See you, Bones!" thrown over his shoulder while Leonard stared after him, one eyebrow rising slowly off of his forehead as he watched the blond haired, blue eyed whirlwind leave.   

Len could only shake his head and wonder what the hell he'd gotten himself into.


	2. Just an Ordinary Boy

Title: Ordinary Boy [2/?]

Author: drpepperupper

Fandom: Peter Pan / Star Trek xi crossover

Characters & Pairings: Kirk/McCoy, Joanna, the whole Enterprise crew

Rating: R, just to be safe

Warnings: Swearing

Notes: I'm trying to balance the cute with a kind of dark feel in this story, as you will see nearing the end; if you remember, J.M Barrie's Peter Pan was not always bright and happy. I hope you enjoy this update!

By the time Len punched in the code to his and Joanna's room (thank God for family housing), he was absolutely exhausted. Not only that, but he was also questioning his own sanity for the umpteenth time.

After getting off of the shuttle, navigating his way around the campus was a nightmare. In a bout of pure male pride, he'd rejected the idea of walking around with his nose in a map. Joanna had rolled her eyes at him and had tried to talk him into asking for directions to the family dorms, but she'd sounded so much like Jocelyn that Len couldn't help but snap at her. Of course, that had amounted to making Joanna upset. Unfortunately, he'd had to face the puppy eyes until he'd apologized.

Of course, he still didn't ask for directions even as he picked up his daughter and walked until he was sure his toes were eroding away.

Joanna sagged against him; her light little arms seemed like a deadweight around his arms by the time he stumbled into a couple of cadets aimlessly wandering around. She was also snoring in his ear and his nose tickled and itched and he really, really wanted to scratch it but he couldn't put down the Barbie suitcase or his duffle bag and it _sucked_.

So, when he'd just about smacked into a short kid with curly blond hair and a _green woman_ (no, really, she was _literally_ the color green. Actually, she kind of reminded him of Christmas, because she also had red hair. All she needed was some ornament tattoos, lights wrapped around her, some garland and a star at the top of her head and she'd be a great makeshift Christmas tree. Len decided that he would have to get her number just in case he couldn't get a real tree that year), he had no shame in asking one of them to scratch the itchy spot on his nose.

The kid (who _couldn't_ be more than thirteen or fourteen years old; what the hell was he _doing_ at Starfleet?) blinked wide eyes at Len and obviously didn't comprehend, but the green young woman (was she seriously Orion?) had reached out unabashedly, while smiling of course, and scratched just where Len asked.

He couldn't help that an appreciative, happy moan rumbled through his chest (he vaguely wondered if he should be embarrassed), but it only made the green woman tilt her head to the side. "Is scratching one's nose some kind of human courtship or pleasuring method?"

Len had just chuckled softly, as to not disturb the sleeping Joanna. "No, but if you can give a back scratch as well as you can give a nose scratch, then it may damn well become one."

The green woman had grinned again and was about to reply, but the kid gasped loudly and gestured at Joanna excitedly. He babbled in a language that Len thought might have been Russian and pointed at Joanna, who was just beginning to blink her eyes open.

The green woman had looked down at the kid and patted his unruly, curly blond hair affectionately with a fond smile. Len frowned, feeling confused. "What's he saying?" The stranger shrugged, looking utterly unperturbed.

"I have no idea, but he's cute. I thought I'd keep him." Joanna, having heard her words, giggled and pressed her face into Len's neck shyly. The green woman's eyes had locked onto Len's daughter, interest sparking in her eyes. "Oh, a human child! Even smaller than little Pavel!" She clapped her hands and bounced on the balls of her feet, curly red hair waving erratically. "How adorable! Look at the inflections on her skin! It looks like someone painted little dots all over her face. Oh, how cute! Can I keep _her_, too?"

Joanna had peeked out from Len's shoulder and smiled a little at the strange woman while Len fought back a smile that was twitching the corner of his lips upwards. Damn it, he was supposed to be the grumpy country doctor; he had to keep up his grouchy exterior.

However, the sight of the curly haired boy–Pavel?–reaching towards Joanna and pulling a little at her hair with a too-cute frown on his face was enough to crack his gruff exterior. "She has no curls, Gaila," he'd said in English and it was understandable, even though it was heavily accented.

The green woman, Gaila, had wrapped an arm around her counterpart. _They certainly make an odd pair_, he'd thought to himself. "No, she doesn't. But I still think she's cute, don't you?" Pavel nodded, bouncing a little as he peered at Joanna. Joanna had buried herself in Len's arms again, obviously a little distressed and unsettled by the close scrutiny.

Len pulled back a little so that he could partially see Joanna's face. She was flushed and fighting back a smile of her own. "JoJo, why don't you say hi?" He'd suggested gently, turning her in his arms a bit so that she could face the two.

"Hi," she wiggled out of Len's hold and he set her on her feet gently. Gaila crouched down so that she was eye level with Joanna, much to Len's amusement. The woman had held her hand out to the girl, a serious expression on her face.

"I believe it is Terran custom to shake hands and introduce ourselves!" She chirped and then sighed, "you humans are _so_ odd." She waited until Joanna gripped her hand. "I am Gaila."

"I'm Joanna McCoy. You don't have a last name?" Gaila looked confused.

"No, I don't. Is that bad?"

"Well, everyone has them... Why're you _green_?" Len had coughed almost uncomfortably.

"JoJo, some people don't have last names, like Vulcans. She's green because she's an Orion. Isn't she pretty?" He earned himself a sly glance from Gaila. She stuck her hand out to him and introduced herself again. Len smiled a little and shook her hand firmly. "Doctor Leonard McCoy." Her eyes had roamed him, assessing, and by her satisfied expression she'd approved.

"Well, Doctor Leonard McCoy, you're pretty, too," she answered him, threading green fingers through his tan ones and squeezing a little. He smiled and looked down at Joanna, who was shaking hands with the Russian boy.

"Chekov, Pavel Andreievich." Len could swear he'd seen Joanna's left eye twitch a little when the boy recited his name as if he was addressing a superior. Gaila only chucked and reached down to pat Joanna's head. Chekov threw up his arms happily. "And I am glad to know I am not _baby_ anymore!"

"His name is Pavel," she'd informed Jo, whispering as if it was a great secret. Gaila let go of Len's hand and crouched down again and began to count the freckles on Joanna's face with Chekov and Len took a moment to look around. There were students milling about, smiling and laughing and looking so fucking happy to be there, at the Academy.

It kind of made Len's stomach churn.

When he'd looked back down, Gaila and Chekov were still counting the freckles on JoJo's face, arguing over the numbers.

"I hawe counted sewenty-tvo, Gaila!"

"Oh, Pavel, no. It's sixty-four."

"Vrong! Many of those freckles are so small zat zey look like one big freckle. Zey are really separate!"

"I have to disagree."

Len cleared his throat and all three had looked up at him. "Look, it's been real nice meeting you two, but we've got to go. Do you have any idea where the family dorms are?" Joanna had moved back towards him and smiled.

"Daddy didn't take the map."

"Joanna McCoy..."

"_What_? It's _true_." Gaila had smiled, straightened herself up and had pointed out the way to the dorms. Joanna shook both of their hands again. "Bye Miss Gaila," she said and then turned towards Chekov, surprising all of them when she said, "Bye, Mister Chekov, Pavel Andreievich!" Chekov had stared at her like she was the best thing since Russia and Gaila clapped her hands happily.

Len shook their hands, too. Gaila had taken his hand again, kissed his cheek and he flushed. He covered it up with a few gruff words and scowling, but Gaila had just laughed. "You should come to the Mess Hall. Pavel and I were just going there to get something to eat. You could eat with us."

Joanna voiced her gleeful agreement and Len nodded. "If we see you, we'll definitely join you. Nice meeting you two." Gaila kissed his cheek again before sauntering off while dragging Chekov behind her like the puppy he looked like. He hoisted Joanna back into his arms and began walking towards their building. Out of the corner of his eye, he could swear he saw two narrowed, blue eyes following his every move.

* * *

It had been an interesting meeting and Len was all too glad to punch in the code to their dorm as he sighed heavily. "Here we are, JoJo. Home sweet home." He tried for a cheerful, upbeat tone of voice but if Joanna's raised eyebrow was any indication, he'd failed with that, too. The door slid open easily and Len walked in first, ordered up the lights and looked around.

All in all, it wasn't bad. It wasn't bad at all.

"This is pretty nice," he commented with a sigh of relief, letting out the breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. Joanna moved to stand in the middle of the room and looked around slowly. He would be an idiot to assume that Jo was going to warm right up to Starfleet; of course, he was going to be having the same problem. Not everyone was going to be as nice and friendly as Gaila and Chekov.

And Jim Kirk.

Len frowned to himself. He was sure there was something wrong with that kid; but then again, a lot of people had issues.

Starfleet personnel probably had a _lot_ of issues.

Absently, Len wondered how many therapists they had in Starfleet. Lord knows he, and Joanna, was going to need a lot of therapy during his stay at Starfleet. He watched the news; he knew what kind of accidents and attacks happened in space. He'd been disgusted at the time and had pledged to himself that he would never go anywhere _near_ space.

Well. Lot of good _that_ did.

"It's plain." Joanna's voice brought him out of his reverie. He took a look at her pursed lips and her hand on her hip and just knew she was picturing pink walls and glitter and a jump of panic made his heart beat a little faster. If there was anything remotely close to a My Little Pony or a Barbie doll in the main room, he was going to throw up a rainbow.

All little girl stuff would have to be restricted to Joanna's room.

"That's because we haven't lived here yet, JoJo," he explained as he dropped the bags on the floor and rushed her, sweeping her up into his arms. There might have been spaceship and phaser noises involved to just make his baby girl giggle, but he'd deny it to the end of his days.

By the time he was done, he ended up on the couch with Joanna in his lap, squirming and shrieking as he tickled her. He stopped, finally, before she passed out from lack of oxygen and just held her close, burying his nose in her sweet-smelling, dark hair. She pressed her face into his chest and clung to his shirt. "We're gonna be okay, sweetheart. It's gonna get better. I promise," he whispered to her as he squeezed her close. "You just gotta give this place a chance. You gotta give _me_ a chance to get it sorted out."

Joanna was still, obviously listening intently. Len bent his head and pushed her away just slightly so that he could look into her beautiful eyes. "Can you do that? Can you give me a chance, Joanna?" All he wanted was his girl to be happy. He wanted her to trust her daddy. He wanted her to smile again.

One after the other, both corners of her mouth twitched up and she nodded. "Yeah, daddy." She wrapped herself around him again and mumbled into his chest, "I love you."

Len swallowed around a suspicious lump in his throat as he replied, "Love you too, baby girl."

* * *

Len was just finishing unpacking in his room while Joanna unpacked in hers when a loud shriek made him jump up and run to Joanna's room.

"What is it? Are you okay?" He cried, looking around the room frantically after he'd burst in. Joanna was by her bed, kneeling beside her box of belongings. Things had been thrown on her bed; her toys and some of her clothes that she hadn't gotten around to putting away yet. There was no threat in the room but Jo's face was distraught as a fear tears slipped down her cheeks. "Jo! What's wrong?"

He calmed down considerably as he sunk to his knees beside her and pulled her close to him. She hiccuped and sniffled. She shook her head and squeezed her eyes shut. "I f-forgot the picture of S-Sir and me and you at h-home," she cried, burying her face in her little hands.

The picture she was talking about was Jo's favorite. It had been taken when she was only four. It showed her sitting astride a tall grey horse, named 'Sir', (they'd had a few horses back in Georgia, but Sir was both Len and Jo's favorite; another thing Jocelyn had taken from them) with Len right behind her, one hand wrapped around Joanna and one hand holding the reins. The two McCoys wore matching black cowboy hats and bright smiles.

It was Joanna's last memory of a happy time and she'd loved that picture.

She'd left it back in Georgia.

Len's own heart broke and he pulled Joanna into his arms again. "Shh, shh... Jo. We'll ask your mom if she can send it to us. Hey, hey now. Breath, sweetheart. It's okay." She couldn't seem to calm down. Instead, her sobs went hysterical and Len felt like a monster. What was he _doing_?

But it was too late to turn back, now. They just had to fight their way through the tough time. It would be okay. He rocked Joanna in his arms until her sobs ceased and she just sniffled into his chest. Once she seemed calm enough, he got up with her in his arms. "Lets go get something to eat. We could see Gaila and Chekov again. What do you say to that, huh?" He suggested and was pleased when Jo's morose expression lightened the tiniest bit at the mention of finding her new friends.

* * *

The Mess Hall was crowded. Len had to keep Joanna pinned to his side as to not lose her in the sea of _red_. He was sure he was going to get sick of the color within a month or so.

It also kind of sucked because red was the color he looked worst in.

It seemed like nothing really wanted to go his way.

He kept an eye out for the splash of green that _should_ have been easy to find in the sea of red. He stepped up to a replicator and ordered pasta for himself and Joanna. It was probably the best idea to eat something that was simple and familiar. Joanna still had red, watery eyes and looked like she was going to start crying again if someone so much as _breathed_ wrong.

And that someone was going to be in a world of hurt if they made his baby cry again.

Finally, his eye caught a flash of green and he grinned. He bent down to tell Joanna that he'd found Gaila when someone stepped up in front of them. Len's eye went to the scuffed, beat up sneakers and the familiar ratty jeans up to the blood-spattered shirt and grinning face of Jim Kirk. Joanna squealed happily and launched herself at the kid, a bright smile lighting up her formerly sad face.

Len straightened and raised a brow. "You didn't change your shirt? You _are_ aware that you've got your own blood painted on it, _right_?" Jim Kirk's grin widened further at him.

"This is the only thing I've got until my stuff gets up here, Bones." Len rolled his eyes. Of _course_. He was still going to be called that ridiculous nickname. He wasn't sure who came up with it but he had a sinking feeling that it had been Jim. Joanna would have called him something unacceptable like... Something having to do with sparkles or something little girlish.

Jim looked at the food in their hands to the tray in his own. "Hey, I'm lonely. You guys want to keep me company?" Len's eyes flickered over to Gaila, who had spotted him and was waving enthusiastically with Chekov next to her. He offered her a brief, strained smile, held up a finger to signal her to wait, and turned back to Kirk. Jim was looking at Gaila too, his eyes narrowed minimally.

"Actually, we were going to–" Jim didn't give him the time of day to finish his sentence.

"Great! This way!" Jim grabbed Joanna's and swung his leg to hit the back of Len's legs to get him to move. Against his will, he found himself shoved into a seat across from Jim Kirk. Joanna looked happy but Len was just annoyed at the way they'd been herded into their seats. He turned in his seat to shoot an apologetic look to Gaila's confused face and mouthed an 'I'm sorry' before Jim kicked at his chair and demanded his attention.

"So, how are you two settling in?" Joanna grinned as she dug into her pasta.

"We just finished unpacking..." Her voice trailed off and Len swore mentally. She sniffed and moved to wipe at her once again wet eyes, but Jim was already there with a napkin. He wiped her tears away like it was the most natural thing to do and ignored the shocked look on Joanna's face and the incredulous expression on Len's.

"Yeah? What happened to make such a pretty girl cry?" Oh, that boy had a smooth tongue. Women probably swooned all _over_ him.

"She left a picture she loves back home in Georgia. We're gonna comm. her momma when we get back to ask if she can send it to us," Len explained and finished off his food as Gaila strode up with Chekov in tow. Jim's eyes snapped from the two strangers to the matching soft smiles on Len and Joanna's faces.

"We saw you before and just wanted to come and say goodnight," Gaila looked to Jim and nodded. She bent and kissed Len's cheek; obviously her way of saying goodbye _and_ hello. Chekov babbled something in Russian to Joanna who just smiled and nodded. The two were briefly introduced to Jim and left. Len was chuckling good-naturedly at their retreating backs as they fussed about something or other.

Jim was stabbing angrily at his vegetables. "Jesus, Jim. What did your greens ever do to _you_?"

Jim looked up and over his shoulder, where Chekov and Gaila had just disappeared. He turned back and smiled at Len, flashing all of his pearly whites. "Never _did_ like green." He turned to Joanna and asked her about the photo. Even though hearing about the memory hurt Len's heart, it was worth it to see Joanna smile a little as she recounted the details. Jim stood up abruptly and excused himself after Jo had concluded telling him about their street and the funny shape of their house.

Jim Kirk was, as far as Leonard could tell, a strange individual.

* * *

That assessment only strengthened when the next morning, he was startled awake by another shriek. He was out of bed and in Joanna's room within record time, rubbing his sleepy eyes blearily and trying to comprehend the scene in front of him. Joanna was standing beside her bedside table with a look of awe and wonder on her face. Cradled in her hands was a familiar picture frame.

Joanna quickly asked him if he'd found it during the night but Len hadn't. He'd fallen into bed and been dead to the world right after they got back to the room. Joanna had been the same way. She'd been asleep even before he'd been through tucking her in.

The picture suddenly turning up was nothing short of a miracle to his little girl. Len could only think; _It's way too early for this shit_.

Their weird morning got even stranger when their door chimed. Len opened the door with his sleep mussed hair and pajama pants on to find Jim Kirk in clean clothes, holding a tray of breakfast food outside of his door. At Leonard's questioning gaze, he only shrugged. "Thought you might be hungry. Where's Joanna?"

At the sound of Jim's voice, Joanna came barreling out of her room, brandishing the miracle photo wildly. Jim had just enough time to shove the breakfast food into Len's arms before he was dragged to the couch by Joanna. She ecstatically recounted how she'd found it and handed it to him saying, "Isn't it the _best_ picture?"

Jim only nodded, scanned the photo once with some kind of detached familiarity and glanced to where Len was, still standing by the door with a thunderstruck expression on his face, and flashed him a dangerous smile. His eyes glinted as he bared his too-white teeth in an expression that might have once conveyed happiness.

Now, it just made Len shiver. Jim caught the minute movement with his sharp, watchful eyes, threw his head back, and crowed.

Leonard shivered again.


End file.
